


Clever & Cleverer(er)

by Crollalanza



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 17:38:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6161257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/Crollalanza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroo and Bokuto like nothing more than hanging out together with their two best friends Kenma and Akaashi. But since that match, the two Setters haven't been talking. </p>
<p>So how do they make this right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clever & Cleverer(er)

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a prompt on tumblr from noivenevermetyou. The prompt was Bokuto/ Kuroo and the line:
> 
> "This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

This story is related to another one of mine called [Cool](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3838816) which takes place when Kuroo is eight years old. You don't have to read that for this to make sense, but you might like it. 

* * *

 

 

**< <We have to do something>>**

Kuroo stared at his phone, and finding himself nodding in silent agreement, he began to type out a reply.

“Kuro?”

He stopped and lifted up his head, shooting Kenma a quizzical look. “Yup.”

“I’m stuck on a question. Could you... Oh ... sorry ... you’re busy.”

“Nope, not at all. It’s ... uh ... just Kai,” he lied as he palmed his phone. “What’s the problem?”

Kenma blinked, but said nothing. Instead, he handed over his maths book, pointing out the fourth question, and chewed his pen while he waited.

“Ah, yeah,” Kuroo replied, “You’ve made a mistake here.”And although he knew it would be quicker to tell Kenma exactly where he’d gone wrong,  he decided to hint at it instead, circling one part of the working out faintly in pencil. “Check again.”

“Ah... sure. Thank you,” Kenma muttered, and with a frown creasing his face, he went back to his homework.

“Are you handing this in tomorrow?”

“Next Monday.”

“Whoa, Kenma, not leaving it to the last minute. What _is_ wrong with you?” Kuroo joked.

He shrugged. “Might as well. We don’t have anything else planned and I finished that game.”

“We could ... uh ...” Kuroo’s hand twitched towards his phone, and he cleared his throat. “We could always see what the guys are up to.”

“Please.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen enough of Toro and Lev to last a week. Let me have a small break.” Bending over his homework, he altered the equation. “I don’t mind if you want to go, though.”

“I didn’t mean those guys,” Kuroo murmured. “Why don’t we see what-”

“No.”

One word.

Very definite.

And Kuroo knew there was no manoeuvre for debate. “Ah, okay, then.”

With Kenma safely ensconced in the next question, Kuroo pulled out his phone.

**_< <Any ideas?>>_ **

**< <Got a few.>>**

**_< <I’m listening>>_ **

**< <technically ur reading>>**

**_< <since when did you use words like technically, bird brain>>_ **

**< <Konoha’s been tutoring me. And we had a technical drawing class.>>**

Stifling a snort in case it disturbed Kenma, he tapped, **_< <So what’s this idea?>>_**

**< <Better if i tell you in person. Saturday okay?>>**

**_< <We’re practising till 3>>_ **

**< <Us too meet u at 4. Usual place>>**

**_< <Just me??>>_ **

**< <Yea>>**

**_< <Cool. C u then>>_ **

The usual place was a tree near the park where Kuroo had played as a kid. It was a cherry tree, that long, long ago had seemed huge to Kuroo’s eight –year-old self. Now it was simply a tree and not a hiding place, but back then ...

He’d been running away from his mom’s hairbrush when he’d heard a voice and seen an odd looking boy in the branches. An introduction had followed, and they’d discovered a mutual interest not just in hiding from adults, but volleyball.  And then the afternoon’s adventure had ended, Bokuto leaving his grandparents’ house for home that evening and Kuroo heading for home, and he’d not thought much of the strange boy since. Then, in High School, they’d faced each other across the court and there’d been a whooped greeting of delight as Bokuto immediately recognised him.

“STILL PLAYING VOLLEYBALL, KUROO!” he’d yelled from the bench.

“GONNA BEAT YOUR ASS!” he’d replied, not adding a name because it had been so long that he’d forgotten it, but not the personality which he’d warmed to almost immediately.

Nekoma had not beaten Fukurodani’s ass, but Kuroo had come on and played his first ever game and he’d blocked a few from the fledgling ace, which had secured his place in future games.

Bokuto was already there when he arrived, sitting under the tree and fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket. He looked up, giving an automatic grin when he saw Kuroo.

“Hey, hey!”

“Yo!”

“You made it.”

“I said I would,” Kuroo replied. He didn’t join Bokuto on the ground, preferring to lean against the tree trunk. “So what’s the plan? And why couldn’t you tell me over the phone?”

“Oh ... the plan ....” The smile became wider, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “You agree we got to make this situation better, right?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“An’ I’ve tried talking.”

“Me too.”

“But that ain’t working. He won’t listen.”

“Kenma won’t either,” Kuroo muttered. He kicked the tree. “I don’t get it. I mean, I thought we were the guys who’d fall out.”

“Huh? Us ... never!” Bokuto protested. He leapt to his feet, clamping his hand on Kuroo’s shoulder. “We might shout ... like a lot ... but we’re cool, ain’t we?”

“Yeah, ‘course,” Kuroo soothed. “I just kinda meant that we’re the passionate guys. We’re the loud ones who come out with the crap, and ... you know ... if you got mad at some of the things I say, then I’d understand. ‘Cause I am a pretty provocative guy and I know that pisses people off.”

“Yeah, but that’s just you.” Bokuto shrugged. “It’s part of the game and ... it don’t bother me. Like, I step off court and all that shit’s gone.”

“Your kouhai should take a leaf outta your book.”

“Yours, too.”

“Agreed.”  Kuroo chewed his lip. “So, what’s the plan?”

Bokuto pointed upwards. “ _This_ is the plan.”

“Huh?”

“This is our place, right?”

Kuroo nodded.

“But the other two don’t know about it?” Bokuto continued.

“Kenma knows it’s here, but he doesn’t know it’s where I meet you.”

“Cool. Akaashi don’t know either. So ...” His mouth quirked wide again and he waggled his eyebrows. “What say we get climbing again? Go higher this time, and then ... we get stuck and ... uh ... they gotta rescue us.”

Kuroo considered. He pondered for quite a while, weighing up the pros and cons. And when it came down to it, there were no pros, but a helluva lot of cons.

 (Kenma might refuse to come out. The tree wasn’t _that_ big, but they were now much bigger. What if Akaashi didn’t answer his phone? Lastly Kuroo was wearing decent jeans that he didn’t particularly want to rip.)

But on the other hand ... He closed his eyes, remembering being eight again, and smirked. “Bokuto-san, this is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

***

 

They were up the tree, on a higher branch than they’d managed when they were boys. And the bark was slippery from the late autumn rain, but still laughing like kids, they managed to find two branches sturdy enough to take their weight. Bokuto had even remembered to bring snacks, passing Kuroo crisps and a water bottle to take a swig from while they waited.

“How long’s it been?” he asked.

“Five minutes after the last time,” Kuroo replied.

“Which was?”

“We called them thirty minutes ago!” snapped Kuroo. “This was a dumb idea!”

“Akaashi ‘ll be here very soon. The train station’s right over there.”

“That’s if he got a train at all,” Kuroo reminded him. “And maybe –”

“What?”

“Maybe he thinks it’s dumb that you’re stuck in a tree?” Kuroo suggested. “And he won’t come out.”

“ _He’ll_ be here,” Bokuto insisted. “Kenma’s the one that needs twenty minutes to unplug himself from his xbox!”

A twig poked into Kuroo’s neck, he flapped it away irritably. “You dissing my Setter.”

“Not my fault he’d rather play games than rescue you.”

“And it’s not my fault that your Setter’s obviously got so bored with your stupidity that he’s decided not to bother!”

“We wouldn’t be in this fucking tree if it wasn’t for your Setter!”

“How d’you work that out!”  

“Kenma was complaining of cramp in his hand after that handshake.”

“He’s just a sore loser. Smart-Ass Kozume can’t face it that someone’s cleverererer than him,” Bokuto roared, stumbling on his words

“Akaashi isn’t _cleverer_ ,” Kuroo corrected “Kenma’s the smartest player around.”

“Says you,” Bokuto snorted. “We won.”

“And we’ll beat ya next time!” Kuroo snarled. “And that was only down to you not fricking sulking as much as you usually do!”

“NO! It’s cuz Akaashi got me through that moment. Cuz he’s smart. When has Kenma ever got you-”

“WE’RE A TEAM.”Kuroo yelled, red faced and now spoiling for a fight because fuck it all, he was cold up this fucking tree. “WE DON’T HAVE TO RELY ON ONE FRICKING PERSON TO CARRY US!”

But then, just as he was warming to his theme, prepared to yell even louder, he felt the branch give. Hearing a creak, his eyes flared open, and he grabbed the tree trunk. But Bokuto, with anger sparking from his eyes was oblivious to the danger,  and reached round to grab Kuroo by the jacket. “WE’RE A TEAM, TOO! THE BEST TEAM! AND-”

“GET OFF ME, YOU DUMB OWL!” he yelled, panicked, “THE BRANCH IS-”

“Excuse me?”  A quieter voice, but one that cut through the autumnal air lilted up to them.

“Bokuto-san,” called another, a little louder. “Let go of Kuroo-san before you both fall.”

Bokuto dropped his hands immediately and along with Kuroo, they stared at the sight below them. Kenma stood there, huddled into his tracksuit top and an overlarge grey fleece hoodie, and next to him, Akaashi, belted into a black duffle coat, the top of which covered his chin.

“Hi guys,” Bokuto said his voice quaky.

Kuroo coughed. “You ... uh ... probably want to know what we’re doing up here?”

Akaashi glanced across at Kenma, then stared up at them. “Not really.”

“Huh?”

“We suspect you climbed the tree to get us out here,” he continued, pushing his hands further into his pockets. “Kenma-kun mentioned it as soon as Kuroo-san texted him, and I concurred.”

_Only someone as tight-assed as Akaashi would say ‘concurred’,_ Kuroo thought and scowled.

“Huh...” Bokuto leant a bit further forward on his branch, “How d’you know what Kenma-kun said?”

_Good point!  How come I didn’t think of that?_

He watched the cloud of white air dissipating around Kenma as he sighed out a breath. “I guess we have to tell them.”

“Mmm, and at least they’re stuck in one place and might actually listen,” Akaashi agreed.

“Tell us what! Tell us what!” both Bokuto and Kuroo chimed.

Akaashi coughed into his gloved hand, then raised his face to stare up at them. “We were having coffee together.”

“We do sometimes,” Kenma added.

“Huh?”

“I thought you hated each other!” Kuroo yelped. “You always make excuses when I suggest the four of us meeting up.”

There was a chuckle but whether it was from Kenma or Akaashi, he didn’t know. It just sounded strange and a little despairing.

“We don’t hate each other,” Akaashi explained. “We actually get on very well. But it’s hard to have a proper conversation when you two are around.”

“Proper conversation?”Bokuto interrupted. “What do you mean by that? We talk!”

“No,” Kenma said, tilting his face to the side as he looked up. “You argue.”

“All the time,” Akaashi put in.

“It’s wearing,” Kenma said.

“And we’ve had enough,” finished Akaashi, taking a step away. “I left without finishing my coffee, so I think I’ll go back now.” He raised his hand to Bokuto, and bowed his head to Kuroo before turning to Kenma. “Are you coming, Kenma-kun?”

Nodding, Kenma began to follow, smiling a little before pulling his face straight to wave goodbye to Kuroo.

 “I like coffee,” Bokuto called plaintively, and started to climb down the tree, his trainer slipping on the bark. “And those little cinnamon biscuits.”

“Me too,” Kuroo agreed, and swung down a branch. “Hey! Wait for us!”

But the pair on the ground sped up, and Kuroo was pretty sure he could hear _both_ of them laughing this time as they disappeared down the road.

“Setters,” he spat. “Can’t trust the little bastards as far as you could toss them.”

“Or spike them,” Bokuto muttered gloomily as they landed on the ground.

Kuroo grinned. “Hey, that’s quite funny.”

“I am funny,” Bokuto said carelessly.  He shuffled his feet, poking the toe of his boot into the ground. “So, wanna get coffee?”

“With cinnamon biscuits?”

“Uh-huh.” He nodded eagerly, his hair bobbing up and down. “Just us. ‘Cause we know how to have fun.”

“Yeah, just us. Who needs ‘em?”

“Uh...” Bokuto patted his pocket. “Actually, I do, ‘cause I ain’t got my wallet. AKKAAAAASSHIIIIIIII!”

And although he knew he’d regret it  (Bokuto’s money borrowing skills and lack of ability in paying it back were the stuff of legend all over Tokyo) Kuroo clapped him on the back and sighed. ‘C’mon, it’s on me.”

“You’re a good friend, you know that, Kuroo.”

With another smile, Kuroo flipped up the collar on his jacket and pulled at his hair, tugging one spike further over his forehead. “Yeah,” he preened.  “I know.”

 


End file.
